cbcbd
Well-known member
Seems like I haven't written in a while, well here it goes... did some hiking on the PCT with a thru-hiking friend out here, tidepooling/kayaking in the Olympic peninsula, rock climbing (not enough!) near Leavenworth, alpine peaks in the North cascades, skiing on Rainier... a good mix... and that's not counting all the wine tasting I've been doing on the Space Needle and in Leavenworth 
Reference Map
Leavenworth - Castle rock climbing - (H)
Went back with my friend Alex to finish what we had started weeks earlier, which was to climb Castle Rock. Castle Rock is a prominent formation right off highway 2 going to Leavenworth - the history says that it was the first place where technical rock climbing was brought to the state. It's now one of the popular rock crags around and so you see good traffic on it on a nice weekend day.
We linked a bunch of different routes that eventually take you to the summit in 5 pitches. The Fault (5.6 chimney), Catapult (5.8), S. Face of Jello Tower (5.8+), and Midway Direct (5.6)... if you climb at the Gunks then subtract one decimal from these ratings
Great place and very good climbing!
Oh, and right down the road in faeux bavarian Leavenworth you can get some excellent beer, sauerkraut, and an array of wursts!
http://picasaweb.google.com/dougseitz/CastleRock9608#
The Tooth - light alpine rock climb near Snoqualmie Pass (D)
Headed out with Alex, a co-worker of his who has been climbing in the area for a long time, and two other guys from other big Seattle employers. The Tooth is a tooth looking mountain near Snoqualmie Pass, with it's South face a very popular moderate alpine rock climb rating at a mellow 5.4.
Easy hike in and access from Alpental ski area and after a short approach you reach the 3-4 pitch climb. Very enjoyable, easily accessible and a great day climb from the city... highly recommended
http://picasaweb.google.com/dougseitz/TheToothSFace9708#
Stevens Pass - PCT day hike - (B)
My friend Jon was finishing his PCT thruhike and so I met up with him in Snoqualmie Pass one weekend and then picked him up and some friends at Stevens Pass the next weekend... hung out at Skykomish for a day and then I hiked in with him a bunch and then backtracked back to the car.
The highlight of this section was definitively all the views of Glacier peak and the meadows. The trail was very well graded and awesome for running!
http://picasaweb.google.com/dougseitz/PCTStevensPass92808#
Eldorado Peak - alpine climb in North Cascades - (C)
With same crew from The Tooth climb... we picked a Cascade classic, one of the few with a snowed in summit year round and with a famous summit snow ridge.
Pretty steep approach up the forest and onto to a boulder field before you get to the alpine meadows, then cross over a rock ridge and ascend a couple glaciers onto the famous and popular East ridge with views West to Forbidden peak (it's West Ridge one of the 50 classic climbs).
Glorious day with views to Baker and basically just about every other peak around.
Would make a great ski, I really wished I had them up there!
http://picasaweb.google.com/dougseitz/Eldorado91408#
Salt Creek State Park - tidepooling and kayaking - (A)
Kristia and I headed to this park in the Olympic Peninsula for it's well-known tidepooling potential.
Well, it didn't disappoint. In the two days we saw an array of urchins, anemones, sun stars, sponges, and even a baby seal on the Tongue Point rocks.
There's also a beach next to the park on Crescent Bay where we launched from and went kayaking... very cool bay and the waves were perfect for surfing, the beach was shallow and sandy, and 3 kayak surfers were all out doing their thing... very cool.
Apparently this is a pretty popular park in the summer for camping... people had made reservations for some sites as early as April!
Anyway, it's still pretty secluded, it's a short drive from Port Angeles, and just a nice place.
http://picasaweb.google.com/dougseitz/SaltCreekStatePark91108#
Reference Map
Leavenworth - Castle rock climbing - (H)
Went back with my friend Alex to finish what we had started weeks earlier, which was to climb Castle Rock. Castle Rock is a prominent formation right off highway 2 going to Leavenworth - the history says that it was the first place where technical rock climbing was brought to the state. It's now one of the popular rock crags around and so you see good traffic on it on a nice weekend day.
We linked a bunch of different routes that eventually take you to the summit in 5 pitches. The Fault (5.6 chimney), Catapult (5.8), S. Face of Jello Tower (5.8+), and Midway Direct (5.6)... if you climb at the Gunks then subtract one decimal from these ratings
Great place and very good climbing!
Oh, and right down the road in faeux bavarian Leavenworth you can get some excellent beer, sauerkraut, and an array of wursts!
http://picasaweb.google.com/dougseitz/CastleRock9608#
The Tooth - light alpine rock climb near Snoqualmie Pass (D)
Headed out with Alex, a co-worker of his who has been climbing in the area for a long time, and two other guys from other big Seattle employers. The Tooth is a tooth looking mountain near Snoqualmie Pass, with it's South face a very popular moderate alpine rock climb rating at a mellow 5.4.
Easy hike in and access from Alpental ski area and after a short approach you reach the 3-4 pitch climb. Very enjoyable, easily accessible and a great day climb from the city... highly recommended
http://picasaweb.google.com/dougseitz/TheToothSFace9708#
Stevens Pass - PCT day hike - (B)
My friend Jon was finishing his PCT thruhike and so I met up with him in Snoqualmie Pass one weekend and then picked him up and some friends at Stevens Pass the next weekend... hung out at Skykomish for a day and then I hiked in with him a bunch and then backtracked back to the car.
The highlight of this section was definitively all the views of Glacier peak and the meadows. The trail was very well graded and awesome for running!
http://picasaweb.google.com/dougseitz/PCTStevensPass92808#
Eldorado Peak - alpine climb in North Cascades - (C)
With same crew from The Tooth climb... we picked a Cascade classic, one of the few with a snowed in summit year round and with a famous summit snow ridge.
Pretty steep approach up the forest and onto to a boulder field before you get to the alpine meadows, then cross over a rock ridge and ascend a couple glaciers onto the famous and popular East ridge with views West to Forbidden peak (it's West Ridge one of the 50 classic climbs).
Glorious day with views to Baker and basically just about every other peak around.
Would make a great ski, I really wished I had them up there!
http://picasaweb.google.com/dougseitz/Eldorado91408#
Salt Creek State Park - tidepooling and kayaking - (A)
Kristia and I headed to this park in the Olympic Peninsula for it's well-known tidepooling potential.
Well, it didn't disappoint. In the two days we saw an array of urchins, anemones, sun stars, sponges, and even a baby seal on the Tongue Point rocks.
There's also a beach next to the park on Crescent Bay where we launched from and went kayaking... very cool bay and the waves were perfect for surfing, the beach was shallow and sandy, and 3 kayak surfers were all out doing their thing... very cool.
Apparently this is a pretty popular park in the summer for camping... people had made reservations for some sites as early as April!
Anyway, it's still pretty secluded, it's a short drive from Port Angeles, and just a nice place.
http://picasaweb.google.com/dougseitz/SaltCreekStatePark91108#
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